RP pleads for Caprivians

THE President of the Republican Party, Mr. Henk Mudge, says it is no secret that amongst all the many failures of this Swapo government, probably the biggest is their inability to find solutions for the unacceptable high rate of unemployment.

Mr. Mudge adressed a wellattended rally of the RP in the Caprivi as part of his week long campaign and dealt with the following topics.

Unemployment and poverty
 
“It is no secret that amongst all of the many failures of this Swapo government, probably the biggest was their inability to find solutions for the unacceptable high rate of unemployment. Although the problem exists throughout Namibia, it is nowhere as evident as in the South of the country as well as the Kavango and Caprivi regions.

“The only way that the unemployment and poverty issues can be solved will be when the government takes the initiative and starts sustainable and labour intensive development projects all over the country. By doing that they could at the same time ensure that people work where their homes are and not all flock to Windhoek and eventually become part of the crime scene just to survive!

“The Government should also not tell us that they do not have the necessary funds to initiate these projects, because all they should have done, was to stop spending money on white elephants like the northern railway line, the new office block for a retired old president, a new state of the art aircraft to replace one that could be used for another 10 years.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the former president and many government leaders have on so many occasions promised that the Caprivi and Kavango regions would become the bread basket of Namibia and for 20 years nothing has happened.

“Just to demonstrate to you the Swapo government’s total disregard for the plights of not only the poor and the unemployed Namibians, but also the business sector, they are keeping on allowing Chinese nationals to come to Namibia, not as experts who can transfer their skills, but as ordinary shop owners, competing directly with our local Namibians by selling products of inferior quality at very cheap prices.

“We demand that an immediate embargo be placed on the seemingly uncontrolled influx of Chinese and other internationals and that proper investigations be launched to identify every single Chinese, Korean and other person from Asian decent, to find out who of them got Namibian citizenship, permanent residence, work permits, etc. and whether it was legally issued.”

Corruption
 
“Corruption has taken on proportions that are frightening The fact remains that corruption thrives when there is poor decision-making, when there is a lack of accountability and where the government fails to introduce effective and adequate control measures. In layman’s terms, corruption thrives when there is bad governance.”

Elections
 
“We have read in the local newspapers about the allegations by Mr. Hamutenya that elections in Namibia have been rigged in the past. We also saw the reaction by amongst others the Secretarygeneral of Swapo, Pendukeni Ithana, when she threatened that Swapo is going to take Mr. Hamutenya to court.”

Caprivian issue
 
“I have spoken about this before and have also visited the accused Caprivians in prison as well as having had meetings with the President of the Republic of Namibia.

“Where do we stand and what needs to be done now? What is the way forward?

“It must be obvious that the Swapo government has overstepped all human and legal bounds and made themselves guilty of gross human rights violations and abuse.

“Firstly for having allowed the security forces to commit acts of cruelty and torture against some, if not most of the accused, in direct violation of not only the Convention Against Torture and other Acts of Cruelty, Degrading and Human Treatment or Punishment that was ratified by the Government on 28 November 2008, but also the Namibian Constitution which clearly states in Art. 8 (2)(b) that: ‘No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’

“The fact is most if not all the accused, have been tortured and cruelly punished. The question is what happened to the perpetrators? Were they apprehended and tried, if so, when and if not, why not and who then is supposed to ensure that the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of the people of Namibia, not only be protected but also enforced?

“It is also clear from what I have argued earlier, that the Swapo government is in material breach of not only our own Constitution, but also international treaties/ conventions and declarations for having failed to ensure that the accused received a fair trial within a reasonable time.

“Most of the accused have been gaoled for 10 years this month, on ‘suspicion’ of having participated in the abortive secessionist activities without having their constitutional rights exercised, namely the right to a fair trial. Many people have died while in custody.

“The fact is that the Swapo government has failed dismally to act accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia and to the benefit of Namibia and its people.

“The fact that basically the entire leadership of the Mafwe tribe has been removed and gaoled in the process and the ‘appointment’ and recognition of other traditional leaders who are perceived to be mere puppets of the Swapo government also raises a few question marks.

“But the most important fact is that the way in which this Caprivi issue was dealt with by the Swapo Government has caused immense pain, suffering and humiliation, physically and mentally, not only to the accused, but also to their families, due to the absence of their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons – the breadwinners. One can safely say that the Caprivi Region as a whole has been suffering tremendously.

“If one analyses the present situation in which the incarcerated Caprivians find themselves against the backdrop of the international charters and conventions to which we as a democracy has subscribed, as well as the quoted case law and the entrenched rights guaranteed in our Constitution, it leaves us with only one possible conclusion, namely that there has to be a political agenda, unbeknown to us, but very real in its existence, which led or even now, leads government to ride rough- shod over these entrenched and accepted principles of local and international justice.

“Another perception exists in the world that African countries are quick to sign conventions, treaties and charters, but that they, after having done that, only pay lip service to it. It is our submission that the international legal instruments and jurisprudence not only offer a legal way out for Government, based on legal precedence elsewhere, but that the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of Namibia (especially in Chapter 3), should take precedence in this matter.

“The protection of liberty (Article 7), respect for human dignity (Article 8) and Articles 11 and 12 that deal with arrest and detention and a fair trial, respectively are of special concern. Here now is an excellent opportunity for the Namibia government to prove to the world that it is serious in subscribing to the said international principles and it is for this reason that we humbly request His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Namibia, to act in the interest of Namibia as a constitutional and sovereign state and to release all the accused in the Caprivi trial forthwith.

“To pardon and to release the Caprivians accused of high treason, would amount to a moral action that speaks of innate strength and an unwavering belief in the intrinsic value of the human person. It would amount to more than a symbolic act, but would demonstrate to every Namibian and to the world, that national reconciliation, justice, fairness and equality are the cornerstones of our Republic.

“Let them go home, reconcile with their families and start to make their contribution to develop their region for the benefit of not only the Caprivians, but also the Namibian nation as a whole.

“We would however, like to caution that should the accused not be released, then we, the Republican Party of Namibia, will encourage the human rights organisations, amongst others Amnesty International, to assist us in taking this issue to court as well as to the international arena, because it should be evident that the Government cannot win this one.

“Make the Republican Party strong and we will make you strong!”